How to Build a Heartfelt Connection with Your Customers.. And Win More Sales

Want more sales? If you own or manage a business, I'm betting you do.

Well, I've got a little secret for you.

A simple tip to drive more revenue through sales. Guaranteed.

And the best part? This strategy will boost revenue for years to come.

As secrets go, this one is pretty basic: if you want to grow your sales, you need to build a real connection with your customers. And I’m going to give you three tips on how to do exactly that.

A client of mine, we'll call her Simone, opened an online store. She'd always wanted a business, so she put a lot into her new venture. "I spent thousands of dollars on this online course on eCommerce," she said. "It was so detailed; I was sure it covered everything I needed to know.

"It got into setting up your store for optimal sales and where to source products. Plus, how to set up shipping and deal with abandoned carts.

"And there was a whole module on Facebook Ads. That was the golden ticket. I felt like I was ready to dominate."

But after opening, Simone felt dismayed at how hard it was to attract customers. After all, she was one of over 20 million eCommerce sites online.

"I've learned it's about more than 'driving traffic'," she explained, when she sought me out for advice. "I need to differentiate my brand, but how? What should I focus on?

"How do I connect with customers and grow my sales?"

"Connect," I told her, “Is the operative word here."

So, we reconsidered her strategy, putting connection at the heart of it. Within a year, Simone went from a few sales a week to almost two hundred sales a month.

And it all hinged on connecting to her customers.

How did she do it? She bonded with her audience.

She got passionate about their needs and desires; her passion ignited her business. It forged a heartfelt bond with her customers that shone through in all she did.

It made her brand irresistible; people couldn't get enough.

And sales skyrocketed.

You can do the same. So how does it work?

As a copywriter, I often speak with clients who are looking to build revenue. Ultimately, the best way to do that is to forge that deeper connection with their customers.

But in order to get it right, you need to know who your customers are and what they want.

Buyer profiles are a great tool to help you understand who your customers are. Once you know more about them as people, you can get really specific with your unique selling proposition (USP).

The Secret to Connecting

Your customers are not just a revenue source. They're real people with real lives, full of challenges and triumphs. Yet many business owners fall into the trap of seeing their customers as dollars and cents.

They focus on sales, not people.

It's understandable; after all, businesses need revenue.

Yet when you see customers as revenue, it shows.

So how can you avoid it?

Stay aware of the golden rule of selling: don't spend time trying to get your customers to buy. It makes people feel out of control, powerless.

Instead, connect with your customers and add real value to their lives; find a way to bond.

Love your customers and they'll love you, which will keep them coming back time and again.

The following three tips will help you develop deeper customer relationships:

1) Get to Know Your Customers

How do you get to know your customers? With a little time and research. First, ask yourself some key questions.

Who uses your product or service? What are their defining characteristics?

Start with basic demographics.

Are your customers male? Female? How old are they? Where do they live? What's their income bracket? Are they married? With kids?

From here, you can get a little more in depth.

What are their priorities? Their fears and desires? What keeps them awake at night? What is their goal when using your product or service?

At first, you may not have all the details. It's a bit like developing a fictional character based on your buyers as a whole.

Don't worry.

As you dig deeper, you'll back up your suppositions with facts. You can use customer surveys or engage on social media. Ask them questions, have discussions; take the time for conversation.

Over time, you'll build a more complete picture, a solid idea of who your customers are as people. That knowledge is invaluable when crafting your key messages.

Because the right key messages will help you connect to your customers. They'll make you stand out as a brand with heart.

2) Understand Your Emotional Impact

To connect with your audience, you need to understand what motivates them. And to do that, you need to connect to their emotions.

Wait. What does emotion have to do with buying decisions?

Everything.

People are creatures governed by emotion; they buy to satisfy emotional needs. Then they back up their decisions later, with logic.

So, what emotional impact does your product have on your customers?

Well, emotional impact is easier to spot with some products than others. If you own a clothing store, people likely buy because they love the way your clothes make them look.

The same goes for jewelry, makeup, art; lots of things.

But even the most mundane product can have emotional impact. Say you sell hanger stackers; boring, right? Not for the person who gets excited about keeping their closet organized, and they’re out there. To them, your hanger stacker could be an absolute delight.

The emotional impact of your product may be subtle, you may have to dig for it, but it's there.

And once you understand the emotion your product evokes, you can connect to it.

3) Provide True Value for Your Customers

Once you know your audience and what drives them, you can figure out how to add true value to their lives.

How do you add value?

By going above and beyond to make your customers feel, well... valued. Delivering that little bit extra that they won't get anywhere else.

It doesn't have to be anything big.

A pharmacy owner could give away a free arthritis journal so patients can record issues. A housecleaning service may leave a little box of chocolates to indulge clients.

Adding the right value establishes that genuine connection that keeps customers coming back. It also leads to brand evangelists and referrals.

It's the ultimate way to drive revenue.

Every aspect of your business should focus on connecting with your customers. Your message, your product or service, your customer service and your value-adds.

Your copy is the foundation of that connection.

Need help connecting with your customers? Get in touch today; I’d love to help.?

Rachelle Smerhy is a copywriter who has written copy for hundreds of businesses from all over the world; she is also co-founder of iApotheca Healthcare Inc.